[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44184-44185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20922]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
August 9, 1999.
The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments
regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Desk
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Washington, D.C. 20503 and to
Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington,
D.C. 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are
best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of
this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by
calling (202) 720-6746.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB
control number and the agency informs potential person who are to
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not
required to respond to the collection of information unless if displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Forest Service
Title: Grazing Permit Administration Forms.
OMB Control Number: 0596-0003.
Summary of Collection: Domestic livestock grazing currently exist
on approximately 90 million acres of National Forest Service (NFS)
lands. This grazing is subject to authorization and administrative
oversight by the Forest Service (FS). Information is required for the
issuance and administration of grazing permits, including fee
collections, on NFS lands as authorized by the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act, as amended, and the subsequent Secretary of Agriculture
regulation 5 U.S.C. 301, 36 CFR 222, Subparts A and C. The bills for
collection of grazing fees are based on the number of domestic
livestock grazed on national forest lands and are a direct result of
issuance of the grazing permit. Information must be collected on an
individual basis through the permit issuance and administration
process. FS will collect information using several forms.
Need and Use of the Information: FS will collect information on the
ownership or control of livestock and base ranch property; the need for
additional grazing to round out year long ranching operations; and
citizenship. The information collected is used by FS in administering
the grazing use program on NFS lands. If information is not collected,
it would be impossible for the agency to administer a grazing use
program in accordance with the statutes and regulations.
Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; not-for-
profit institutions; farms, State, Local or Tribal Government;
individuals or households.
Number of Respondents: 7,200.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually; Other (as needed
basis).
Total Burden Hours: 2,950.
Economic Research Service
Title: Study of Re-Engineering the Welfare System.
OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
Summary of Collection: In 1996, President Clinton signed into law
the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996 (PRWORA), thereby dramatically changing the system that had
provided welfare cash assistance and food stamp benefits to low-income
households since the early 1970's. In addition to the changes enacted
in PRWORA, states have begun the process of modernizing and improving
their FSPs. New technological innovations have increased the use of
computers to provide enhanced systems for service delivery, eligibility
determination, benefit delivery and maintenance of program integrity.
The primary purpose of the study is to provide USDA with a thorough
view of the administrative changes states have made, are making, or
will make to their Food Stamp Programs in FY 1999. The Economic
Research Service (ERS) has awarded a contract to the Health Systems
Research, Inc. (HSR) to collect existing documents from Food Stamp
Directors and abstract data from these documents into a descriptive
database. States will be requested to provide documents that fit within
six basic re-engineering categories: the changing role of the
caseworkers; organizational changes; changes in client tracking and
accountability systems; changes in program accessibility and
certification systems; increases in program monitoring and evaluation;
and plans for implementing the simplified Food Stamp Program. ERS will
collect information using mail and telephone surveys.
Need and Use of the Information: ERS will collect information on
the number and percentage of states that have implemented or plan to
implement administrative changes in their Food Stamp Program; the
number and percentage of states and county-administered programs that
have implemented or plan to implement administrative changes; methods
used by states (regulatory, legislative, executive order, etc.) to
implement changes; differences between the type of administrative
changes made between states with state-administered FSPs and county-
administered FSPs; number and percentage of states making
organizational changes in their governmental structure as a result of
welfare reform; the number and percentage of states making
privatization efforts, by type of state and administrative activity;
and the type of privatization efforts being made by states, by state
demographic characteristics. The report will be used to assist ERS in
determining future needs and measuring progress toward achieving Food
Stamp Program goals.
Description of Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 102.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 119.
Economic Research Service
Title: Emergency Food Assistance System Study.
[[Page 44185]]
OMB Control Number: 0536-0048.
Summary of Collection: Many emergency food providers are reporting
increased demand for their services as a result of changes in the
nation's welfare and food assistance safety net under the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and
decreasing ability to meet the additional demands. USDA is coordinating
public and private efforts intended to increase the amount of surplus
food channeled through Emergency Food Assistance System (EFAS)
providers by 33 percent by the year 2000. On November 23, 1996,
President Clinton signed an executive memorandum directing all Federal
agencies to join the USDA effort to recover excess food and established
a Federal interagency task force on gleaning and food recovery. USDA,
through the Food and Nutrition Service, administers several food
assistance programs that help low-income households obtain adequate and
nutritious diets. The largest USDA food assistance program, the Food
Stamp Program, is designed to provide food assistance programs by
serving as a distribution outlet for Emergency Food Assistance Program
(TEFAP) commodities and by providing temporary or supplemental food
assistance to many of the same needy populations served by USDA
programs. A study of the Emergency Food Assistance System is going to
be conducted. The Economic Research Service (ERS) previously obtained
OMB approval for the first phase of this study which was focused on
identifying proper respondents for the purpose of establishing a
statistically valid sampling frame. In the second phase, ERS proposes
using the sampling frame to conduct the study survey. ERS will collect
information in phase two using questionnaires and telephone interviews.
Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on
providers' operating characteristics, service areas, resource base,
quantity and type of food flowing into the system, number of people
served, and providers' capacity to manage current and future changes in
food demand and resources. Information collected by the EFAS study will
help USDA assess emergency food providers ability to manage current and
future changes in food demand and resources and determine whether
additional programs to support EFAS are needed.
Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Local or
Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 9,046.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Other (one time).
Total Burden Hours: 4,941.
Economic Research Service
Title: Evaluation of the Impact of EBT Customer Waivers on
Recipients: New EBT User Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0536-NEW.
Summary Of Collection: In April 1992, the Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS) issued regulations governing the design, implementation
and use of electronic benefits transfer (EBT) systems for the issuance
and redemption of food stamp benefits. Since 1992, the growth of EBT
systems has been dramatic, and the U.S. Congress has now mandated the
use of EBT systems in all states by October 1, 2002. Because experience
with EBT systems was somewhat limited at the time the regulations were
promulgated, the regulations included numerous measures intended to
protect recipients' rights and to make EBT systems easy to use.
Examples included regulations which require the FSP recipients: (a) are
to be allowed to select their own personal identification number (PIN);
(b) are to receive hands-on-training and experience in how to use EBT
equipment; and (c) are to receive replacement EBT cards within two
business days. As more states implement EBT and experience with these
systems increased, however, efforts to reduce EBT administrative costs
increase as well. State agencies are requesting waivers to the EBT
regulations so they can try new and more efficient approaches to system
implementation and operations. The Economic Research Service (ERS) will
collect information using a survey to learn about the impact of three
types of customers service waivers on recipients.
Need And Use Of The Information: ERS will collect information on
service problems recipients have encounter with: PIN assignment rather
than PIN selection; mailing of training materials to recipients rather
than hands-on-training; and extending the time for card replacement
from two days up to five days. The purpose of the study is to learn
more about the actual impacts of the three customer service waivers on
recipients and how the waivers may affect recipients and the
recipients' responses. It will also provide preliminary estimates of
the frequency of customer service problems in selected states with and
without the waivers.
Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
Number Of Respondents: 1,400.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 467.
Nancy B. Sternberg,
Departmental Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-20922 Filed 8-12-99; 8:45 am]
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